2026 Interim Update: July 14

Although the 2026 legislative session concluded in mid-April, policy changes, committee meetings, and advocacy remain in full swing during the Interim, the period between legislative sessions.

Read on to learn more about the 2026 Interim so far, including legislative updates impacting survivors of domestic violence (DV), ZeroV's advocacy work, and more. Stay tuned throughout the rest of the Interim for additional legislative updates in ZeroV's Legislative newsletter.

The 2026 Interim began June 1 and will conclude in mid-December. Throughout the Interim, ZeroV will remain focused on uplifting survivors' voices at the policymaking table. 

New Laws Impacting Survivors Start July 15

Several new laws passed this legislative session go into effect today, Wednesday, July 15, 2026. Provided is a simplified summary of the new laws from this year’s legislative session that most directly impact survivors.

• HB 4 creates a new crime of child sexual abuse grooming (revised KRS 510.160).
• HB 418/SB 122 (Section 2 - 8) revises our child custody laws to account more for DV and creates the right for a court advocate to have access to protective order hearings where minors are involved (revised KRS 403.270, revised KRS 403.290, revised KRS 403.315, new KRS 403.317). Changes are as follows:
  • Requires the court to look first and foremost at the violence that has happened within the family and determine how it has and will impact the child going forward. Only then can the court look at other factors when deciding on custody.
  • Prevent parents who have chosen to bring violence into the family, on at least two occasions, as found by the court, from having custody or unsupervised visitation until they take significant steps to show they are changing their behavior.
  • Preserves the positive bond a child has with a protective parent when the court considers any claims of obstructive behavior brought by the parent who has been violent.
  • Requires paid supervised visitation providers and parenting coordinators to have appropriate training to ensure children are safe during visitation and parenting time. People can still utilize unpaid supervisors, such as friends or family members, who are not required to receive training.
  • Ensures people seeking a protective order have access to a victim advocate during their hearing.
• HB 521 revises our current criminal stalking law language to make prosecutions easier, which would increase safety for victims, including survivors who are being stalked by a partner or former partner. Does away with the misdemeanor-level stalking offense, making all stalking a felony to reflect the seriousness of the crime (new KRS 508.130).
• HB 611 creates a 10-year interpersonal protective order (IPO) upon conviction for DV/dating violence felony assaults (new KRS 508.022).

Summer begins 2026 Interim Joint Committee Meetings

Kentucky lawmakers returned to Frankfort this summer to begin the 2026 interim period. Important to KY's legislative process is the start of interim joint committee meetings, which host discussions on topics concerning Kentuckians to help inform policy proposals for the legislative session ahead.

ZeroV Celebrates Passage of The Family Preservation and Accountability Act

ZeroV joined the Governor, lawmakers, advocates, and community members on June 25 to celebrate the passage of The Family Preservation and Accountability Act (SB 122), which allows survivor-parents facing incarceration to request an alternative sentence from the courts so they can continue parenting their child. The act's passage is the result of the combined efforts of lawmakers Senator Julie Raque Adams, Representative Jason Nemes, and Representative Nick Wilson, incorporating language from Rep. Nemes’s HB 418.

“This language will strengthen our domestic violence and child custody laws by ensuring that the safety and welfare of children are the top consideration in all custody proceedings,” said ZeroV CEO Tisha Pletcher.

Among several safety measures included in the act, it will require a parent who has committed two or more acts of domestic violence against the other party to go through court-ordered assessments, treatment, and classes to ensure a child is not exposed to further violence or placed at risk.

“By holding abusive partners accountable for their violent and coercive actions, this bill will enhance the welfare of children and support survivors of domestic violence as they work to keep their children safe during and after the process of separating from an abusive partner,” said Pletcher.

ZeroV thanks everyone who has made this bill possible: the coalition of organizations that worked on this policy for years; Sen. Julie Raque Adams, Rep. Jason Nemes, and Rep. Nick Wilson for ensuring this bill passed the legislature; and Gov. Andy Beshear for signing it into law.

ZeroV Hill Day: Advocating for Survivors in D.C.

ZeroV Board President and The Ion Center for Violence Prevention CEO Christy Burch, ZeroV Policy Lead Olivia Spradlin, and ZeroV Legislative Committee Chair and GreenHouse17 Executive Director Darlene Thomas traveled to Washington, D.C. in June to represent Kentucky during the National Network to End Domestic Violence's (NNEDV) 2026 Advocacy Days!

There, they gathered with other coalitions and DV programs from across the nation and met with Kentucky's Members of Congress to advocate for policies that support survivors.

This year's priorities centered on maintaining steady VOCA, VAWA, FVPSA, and HUD appropriations to support survivors across the United States; passage of the Crime Victim's Funds Stabilization Act; dispersing delayed grant funding; and preventing the consolidation of the Office of Violence Against Women (OVW). Learn more at https://nnedv.org/policy-center/policy-issues/.